Suits Recap – S9 E10: One Last Con

In the series finale, all the good guys get a happy ending, and who can blame the showrunners and writers for giving them one? Nine years of our lives later, let’s go out with smiles, hugs, weddings, and dancing.

But first, the gang needs to get rid of Faye, her long jackets, and her manipulative ways.

On what feels like day 10 of Faye’s trial by jury for a wrongful termination suit, Harvey calls Mike to testify in Faye’s defence, as per the subpoena he gave him at dinner the night before, thereby souring a pleasant catch-up sesh, and making it look like Donna asked Mike to go to said dinner knowing about the subpoena, which she did not.

Harvey gets Mike to admit under oath that he too thought Samantha had fabricated evidence when he was facing her in the Brick Street Athletics deal, but that doesn’t mean she did it. On his way out of court, Mike says to Harvey, “You lost yourself.” Ooh, he is pissed.

The trial is still going on, but our players meet up in various combos behind the scenes to plot against each other. Faye demands that Harvey testify against Samantha. Alex asks the recently-fired Katrina to join the fight. Robert tells Louis to fix the situation or he’ll fix it himself, and Robert and Sam (wearing a great white suit and cool 1940’s waves) strategize with Mike.

Harvey finally confides in Mike about the deal he made with Faye. He decides he will lie on the stand, and probably lose his license. Mike has a better idea. Harvey, Louis and Donna have a dark night of the soul meeting in the bullpen, but they decide to forge ahead with their plan, though the firm could be lost, oh no!

The next morning, on cue, Katrina drops in to tell Faye that if Harvey testifies, so will Katrina, and she will lie and say she is the third person Faye has terminated without cause. When Faye demands that Harvey remove Katrina from the witness list, Harvey demands in return that Faye and Harvey’s agreement/dirty deal be put in writing.

Louis, Harvey, Alex, Donna and Gretchen are meeting with Faye to get the agreement signed when Mike & Sam storm in, and act outraged about Faye asking Harvey to witness-tamper with Katrina.

You wouldn’t believe how many tries it took me to get this screenshot of Samantha’s punch follow-through. Or maybe you would.

Sam punches Harvey in the jaw, and while Faye is distracted, Gretchen switches the agreement for a confession that Faye signs without reading. They’ve beaten the Wicked Witch! Faye vows to keep on fighting, but Harvey takes a private minute with her to close the deal.

On to the wedding of Louis and Sheila!

Louis is in a morning suit, Harvey is best man in a tux, and Donna, in a gorgeous black ball gown, is stepping in as maid of honour for Sheila’s sister who is stuck in traffic (okay, sure, whatever). Stan is officiating, which he only agreed to do if Louis would end their doctor-patient relationship and become friends.

Sheila’s water breaks during the I do’s, but they get through the ceremony and immediately go off to the hospital, leaving the wedding guests to sit idly around a lovely outdoor wedding venue (that I cannot identify), with no newly married couple to celebrate.

What’s a Harvey to do under these circs but propose to Donna with his mother’s engagement ring? And what’s a Donna to do but accept? They take a few minutes to write some rather uninspired vows, then Stan gets to officiate again, and say some nice words about how love nourishes the soul. The newlyweds then awkwardly kiss, and dance (that ball gown came in handy), to Ed Sheeran’s Dancing in the Dark.

Somewhere in there, we see Sheila acting crazy bitchy in labour, being rushed into surgery (C-section?) in her maternity wedding gown (like that happens), and giving birth to a healthy baby girl, who is welcomed by a delighted, if stressed-out Louis.

The bittersweet denouement to the episode comes with Harvey’s announcement that the card he played to ensure that Faye would leave both him and the firm alone was that he’s leaving. For Mike’s firm in Seattle! Donna’s going too!

Harvey confesses that he likes crossing lines and playing in the grey, but now he wants to do it for the good guys (Awww, and also: as if). The remaining minutes tie all the loose ends in a bow: Mike and Harvey charmingly re-enact the interview from S1E1 that started their working relationship. Katrina is made name partner. Louis is sad to lose Harvey and Donna but will soldier on in an imaginary future with his remaining partners Wheeler, Williams, and Bennett. Donna and Louis hold hands in the elevator, friends forever.

And after a montage of some of the series high points (there’s Rachel! and Jessica! and a very young-looking Mike!) Harvey spins one of his autographed basketballs on his finger and walks out of the office. Fin.

Suits is over, guys. After nine years watching the show, and six years recapping it – including the wtf prison seasons – I can’t say I’ll miss it. Though it was aces as an excuse for not working on my own writing. And for exercising my summarizing skills. And it was fun to ID the Toronto locations subbing in for New York ones without the crew even trying to hide the streetcars, street signs and oh-so-Toronto streetscapes.

And the women’s hair was amazing. And the women’s wardrobe! I’ll always have the beautiful hair and clothes. And a lingering affection for everyone who worked to make this show an escapist pleasure (except for the prison scenes – I mean, come on).

Kim Moritsugu is a Toronto novelist and sometime TV show recapper. Her latest novel The Showrunner, available from your favourite bookseller, is a darkly humourous, suspenseful Hollywood-noir about female ambition inside the TV biz that has been called a “sophisticated, compelling, and surprisingly complex drama,” and has been optioned for development as a TV series.

Check out its book trailer here: